Optical deformation detection sensor and system having a material disposed on the inner surface of an elongated hollow housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10180337-B1
Application number	US-201715646138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2017
Priority date	Jul 11, 2017
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

An optical sensor and a deformation detection system in which the optical sensor is used. The optical sensor includes an optical fiber, an elongated hollow housing having an interior portion, and a material disposed on an inner surface of the housing that produces a persistent change in an optical signal transmission property of the optical fiber when the optical fiber contacts the material. The optical fiber elastically extends between opposing ends of the housing such that a bending deformation of the housing beyond a threshold radius of curvature causes a contact to occur between the material and the optical fiber. The contact results in persistent change in the optical signal transmission property of the optical fiber, which can be detected to determine whether deformation of the device occurred beyond a predetermined threshold value. The deformation detection system can use one or more of the optical sensors attached to the device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical sensor, comprising:
an optical fiber;
an elongated hollow housing having an interior portion defined by the inner surface and opposing ends of the hollow housing; and
a material disposed on the inner surface of the housing that will produce a persistent change in an optical signal transmission property of the optical fiber when the optical fiber contacts the material;
wherein:
the optical fiber elastically extends between the opposing ends of the housing such that a bending deformation of the housing beyond a threshold radius of curvature causes a contact to occur between the material and the optical fiber, resulting in the persistent change in the optical signal transmission property of the optical fiber.

2. The optical sensor of claim 1 , further comprising an optical signal transceiver optically coupled to the optical fiber, wherein the optical signal transceiver transmits optical signals through the optical fiber, receives reflected optical signals from the optical fiber, and determines characteristics of the optical transmission property by analyzing the reflected optical signals.

3. The optical sensor of claim 1 , further comprising sensor mounts attaching the optical sensor to a device, such that a deformation of the device causes an associated deformation of the housing.

4. The optical sensor of claim 1 , wherein the material disposed on the inner surface is selected from the group consisting of: a corrosive material and a dye.

5. The optical sensor of claim 4 , wherein the persistent change in the optical signal transmission property of the optical fiber is caused by corrosion of the optical fiber by the corrosive material, or by interaction of the dye with the optical fiber.

6. The optical sensor of claim 5 , wherein the interior portion of the housing is hermetically sealed.

7. The optical sensor of claim 6 , wherein the hermetically sealed interior portion of the housing is filled with one or more inert gases.

8. The optical sensor of claim 2 ,
wherein the optical signal transmission property is one or more properties selected from the list consisting of: a total internal reflection, and one or more refractive indices; and
wherein the optical signal transceiver detects the characteristics of the optical transmission property by analyzing one or more of: the wavelengths and levels of intensity of the transmitted, and received optical signals.

9. The optical sensor of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber is mounted within the interior portion of the elongated hollow housing by one or more optical fiber mounts that are coupled to the housing.

10. The optical sensor of claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor comprises one or more deformation detection zones.

11. A deformation detection system comprising:
one or more optical sensors;
an optical signal transceiver; and
a computer system;
wherein:
each of the one or more optical sensors comprises:
an optical fiber;
an elongated hollow housing having an interior portion defined by the inner surface and opposing ends of the hollow housing; and
a material disposed on the inner surface of the housing that will produce a persistent change in an optical signal transmission property of the optical fiber when the optical fiber contacts the material;
wherein the optical fiber elastically extends between the opposing ends of the housing such that a bending deformation of the housing beyond a threshold radius of curvature causes a contact to occur between the material and the optical fiber, resulting in the persistent change in the optical signal transmission property of the optical fiber;
the optical signal transceiver is optically coupled to the optical fibers of the one or more optical sensors, and is operated to transmit optical signals through the optical fibers, receive reflected optical signals from the optical fibers, and detect characteristics of the optical transmission properties of the optical fibers by analyzing the reflected optical signals;

the computer system is operatively coupled to the optical signal transceiver, and is operated to receive, from the optical signal transceiver, a first data corresponding to first characteristics of the optical transmission properties of the optical fibers resulting from an analysis of first reflected optical signals occurring at a first time period, and a second data corresponding to second characteristics of the optical transmission properties of the optical fibers resulting from an analysis of second reflected optical signals occurring at a second time period, to identify a difference between the first data and the second data that exceeds a predetermined threshold value as a result of the contact between the material and the optical fiber, and to transmit an alert that a deformation beyond a predetermined threshold value has occurred.

12. The deformation detection system of claim 11 , further comprising sensor mounts attaching each of the one or more optical sensors to a device, such that a deformation of the device causes an associated deformation of one or more of the housings of the one or more optical sensors.

13. The deformation detection system of claim 11 , wherein the material disposed on the inner surface is selected from the group consisting of: a corrosive material and a dye.

14. The deformation detection system of claim 13 , wherein the persistent change in the optical signal transmission property of the optical fiber is caused by corrosion of the optical fiber by the corrosive material, or by absorption of the dye into the optical fiber.

15. The deformation detection system of claim 14 , wherein the interior portion of the housing is hermetically sealed.

16. The deformation detection system of claim 15 , wherein the hermetically sealed interior portion of the housing is filled with one or more inert gases.

17. The deformation detection system of claim 12 ,
wherein the optical signal transmission property is one or more properties selected from the list consisting of: a total internal reflection, and one or more refractive indices; and
wherein the optical signal transceiver detects the characteristics of the optical transmission property by analyzing the wavelengths and levels of intensity of the transmitted and received optical signals.

18. The deformation detection system of claim 11 , wherein the optical fiber is mounted within the interior portion of the elongated hollow housing by one or more optical fiber mounts that are coupled to the housing.

19. The deformation detection system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more optical sensors each comprise one or more deformation detection zones.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bradbury Jonathan
• Fry Jonathan
• Kane Michael

Classifications

• G01M5/0091

  by using electromagnetic excitation or detection · CPC title

• G01D11/30

  Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments · CPC title

• G01M5/0033

  by determining damage, crack or wear · CPC title

• G01D5/3539

  using time division multiplexing · CPC title

• G01D5/35393

  using frequency division multiplexing · CPC title